Inspiration Friday

I love fireworks, have a look at these.






The colours and energy are amazing.

Happy New Year!

Wow, 2011 is just around the corner!
It has arrived so quickly. I hope you all have had a great time over the festive session.
Looking forward to next year I am hopping to do more courses and I am looking in to doing some different types of events.
You will also see an updated website soon with some new jewellery collections, including Funky Fusion Hearts.

Inspiration Friday

This inspiration Friday I am going to dedicate it to a wonderful crafter who always brightens a craft event for me.
She is happy, cheerful and very talented.
Krysia you are inspiring.

Here are a few of her stunning products. Click on the pictures to go to Krysha's Shop.

Pretty Snow Pictures

I love snow, now I know alot of you still have snow and are fed up with it but I think it can be soo pretty.
Here are a few pretty snow pics.

Look What I Made!!!

Last Saturday I attended a craft fair in Romsey, it wasn't very good but I was so inspired by Krysia of Kryshees. Visit her website HERE
During the day she made a crochet hat, it inspired me so much I picked up my own crochet hook when I got home and made this for my daughter.






Yes it was meant to be a scarf but it was too short so I sewed the ends together to make a tube scarf.
In the morning it was greatly received and worn constantly!

How to Cut Glass

Well this is my very first attempt at doing a video tutorial!!!

One thing you might notice there is no sound, I will be having another go at some point.
Anyway have a look.

Inspiration Friday

I would like to recommend SwirlyArts on Folksy, She make some amazing bits and pieces and I love her Chickens. Here is one particular smart chicken. Click on his name to go to the shop.

Terence Tweed D'Arby cheeky chicken doorstop

I would also like to recommend a brilliant inspirational forum The CraftsForum
Every one is so helpful and friendly. A true place of inspiration.

New Make

I have created a new design and I am soo pleased with how it has come out.
I tried it on my mum to make sure it sat well and looked good.
It looked so good I took some pictures.
What do you think?



Mum I think you look amazing!!

What is Dichroic Glass

So what is dichroic glass?
Well dichroic means two colours so you get a shifting of colour from this glass. It has a reflection colour (where the light bounces off the surface) and a transition colour (where the light goes through the glass)

Dichroic black backed glass

Dichroic glass is made up of hundreds of layers of quartz crystals and metal oxides, these are sprayed on to a spinning circle of glass in a vacuum chamber. This means you get even coverage on the glass.

Dichroic clear glass

The origin of dichroic glass is as hard to pin down as an urban legend all that is conferable is that it was discovered in California in the 60's. It has many uses for example: lighting, sculpture, film making and it is used by NASA for various things.

Basically for glass artists it means an amazing array of colour to play with.

Week Round Up

Wow what a week.

It started with doing a great course with some lovely people at Cherished China in Andover.
I then spent the week with the kiln on firing all the makes from the course. They came out amazing, the added bonus with having the kiln on it has made the room lovely and toasty.

Then on Thursday morning we awoke to a world of white!!!! The children were off school and where out playing in the snow by 8am!!
I have attached the necessary picture's of snow.



These were all taken from my warm lounge.

Friday the children had enough of being cold and had run out of dry cloth's so they put up the christmas tree, it looks lovely but it's the earliest we have ever had the tree up.

Inspiration Friday

This Friday a couple of websites which have been long time favourites.
1st www.t2landscapes.co.uk
Amazing Landscape Photographer stunning pictures. One of my favs' is this one.



2nd A wonderful blog full of delicious recipes and stunning cupcake designs.

The Art Of Being Perfect

I found the delicious site through her amazing recipe for rice krispie cakes see below
It's the best recipe for these I found and very tasty.

Marshmallow Rice Krispie Cakes

Ingredients

250g bag of toffee
50g butter
3 tbsp milk
115g marshmallows
175g rice krispies

1. Lightly brush a 20 x 33cm roasting tin with a little oil, (I use my 9inch brownie tin and just pack it all in). Put the toffees, butter and milk in a saucepan & heat, gently stirring until the toffees have melted.
2. Add the marshmallows. (I let them melt in, stirring for a minute before moving on).
3. Add the cereal and stir until the marshmallows have completely melted.
4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared roasting tin, level the surface and leave to set. (At this point you could top with melted chocolate as I have, next time I think I will use a mix of white and milk chocolate and create a marble effect).
5. When cool and hard, cut into squares, remove from the tin and put into paper cases to serve.

Open House

At the weekend I did an Open House to show off my products. To say I had low expectations is an understatement, for me it was a way of getting my contact and website details in to local households.
I made up a jpeg image (see below) and then I printed them as photos through an online site, they came out really well and at a good cost. I then handed them out t school and got my husband Peter to go round the village and drop the rest.
We only covered about an 8th of the village homes, so next time I will get more printed!
I had a good response and met some lovely people and sold a good amount of products with a couple of commissions to boot.
Well worth doing and I will do it again at some point but with more marketing before hand.